1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a press plate and a radiographic imaging apparatus, and in particular to a press plate for performing image capture with an image capture body in a compressed state, and to a radiographic imaging apparatus provided with such a press plate.
2. Related Art
Mammography equipment for early detection of breast cancer and the like are known as medical radiographic imaging apparatuses. In mammography equipment, the breast of an examinee is interposed as an image capture body between an imaging face of an imaging table and a press plate, and then a radiographic image is captured with the breast in a pressed state by the press plate. Adopting such an imaging method makes the thickness of the image capture body thinner, and so enables a clear radiographic image to be obtained and enables the radiation amount to be reduced.
In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2011-206438, a radiographic imaging apparatus and a press plate for a radiographic imaging apparatus are described that enable the burden on an examinee during breast pressing, and in particular the pain felt by the examinee, to be reduced. The press plate is equipped with a flexible press plate section that presses the breast against the imaging face of an imaging table, a reinforcement plate section that is integrally formed at both ends of the press plate section, and a support plate section that spans across the reinforcement plate section and maintains a gap to the press plate section.